Chapter 18

The mothers' jaw dropped after watching the news about Yejin's marriage rumor that kept showing on the television. Hyunbin's mother was holding Yejin's mother's hand tight. The rumor that broke their heart.

"How about this?" Hyunbin's mother fidgeted her fingers in worry.

"Are we forcing them to do that far?" Yejin's mother answered with her drooping eyes. "Omo, Yejin-ah! I don't know you would go this far to make us happier."

"I feel wrong about this,"

"Wait! Let me call Woosik first!" Yejin's mother d her phone and called Woosik number. She put the phone and turned it into a loudspeaker. On the third attempt, Woosik picked up the phone.

"Hello, Mom!" Woosik voice greeted her.

"Woosik-ah, Did you hear about the rumor?" Hyunbin's mother asked worriedly.

"Oh, Aunty. I heard about the rumor," he replied sighing.

"Did we choose the wrong way? Woosik-ah!" asked his mother while she was clapping her hands nervously.

"No, we don't."

"How can you be sure? The recorder caught Yejin's voice. Even without seeing the person, it is her for sure," Hyunbin's mother said in anger but still keeping her voice calm.

"No, I am sure about it. I don't know who put the recorder. It might be someone who tried to drag her down,"

"Woosik-ah! Should we come to make it clear?" Yejin's mother asked.

"No, I know them for so long. I would come to them and ask them myself. Mom and Aunty, please keep calm! I make sure that they didn't do such a thing. Don't worry!"

*****((()))*****

Yejin was brought to her waiting room by her manager when the conference didn't come as it should be. With his jacket, he covered Yejin tiny body and the bodyguards started protecting her and Jung Woosung to leave the room. The sudden breaking news about Yejin's marriage that was shown in the middle of the press conference automatically changed the reporter's questions from the movie to the marriage.

Soon, as she touched the chair she grabbed the nearest bottle of water. Her body was shaking, even though she didn't tell the world, it had its way to be leaked out. But, the situation was way different when she started the marriage. They were just made up yesterday and the bad news came out right after. Her heart beat fast and her eyes trembled to hold up her tears.

Suddenly, an unknown number called her. She almost forgot the one who terrorized her after Hyunbin was around her and the unknown number came up again. She took her phone slowly and picked the phone with her trembling hand.

"Yes..." asked her with her cracked voice.

"Come to the restroom with a warn the restroom is in repair! Your bodyguard was pissing me off. How can I meet you if they are grouped in front of your waiting room? And don't bring your phone with you. I don't want someone to ruin our precious meeting," the person instructed her boldly and hang up the phone. Her eyes trembled hard and slowly she put the phone. At least she knew the one who was terrorizing her family. After waiting for his presence, her manager came up to her and gave her a pair of clothes that would hide her from the crowd.

"Wear this and we will go from this place!" her manager asked her in hurry.

"Alright! I will change my clothes in the restroom!" she grabbed the clothes and woke up from her chair.

"Yah! You usually change your clothes here. Don't go outside! It is dangerous," he pulled out her hand fast.

"I want to do my thing in the restroom. I can do that here," she said with a faintly smile on her face.

"Do it fast! I will prepare the car to be parked near this floor," he replied hurriedly.

"Understand!" she left the room by diverting her gaze from her manager.

*****((()))*****

Yejin opened the restroom door gingerly, anticipating someone who would she meet. She took a deep breath before she entered. Her steps became slower when realizing no one there. She closed the door and suddenly the door locked by someone behind the door and Yejin turned to face the culprit and her clothes she brought were shattered to the floor.

Yejin took steps back didn't know how to say. She looked at the man with her trembled eyes and kept her steps back.

"Who...Who are you?" she stuttered while taking her steps back. She looked at the man who was coming to her with his smirk.

"Helloo, big sister. I am Kim Hyeonjin. Your little brother," he said as his corner lips raised widely. Her tears almost burst and her heart raised irregularly. The one who terrorized her all these times was her brother. She exhaled her breathe slowly trying to clear her mind in the mess.

"Why are you here?" she stuttered and she stopped when her back touched the wall.

"I don't know. I just have an urge to meet you before I kill you..." he smirked while pulling out a blade from his pocket.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Her voice trembled when she saw the sharp thing coming from him.

"You don't know how much I want to kill you," he didn't answer her.

"You made my first scandal..."

"Yes, exactly!"

"Didn't it enough for you? I don't know you from the first and I didn't do anything bad to you..." she glared at him with her reddened eyes.

"You didn't. But your father did," he smirked and his gaze turned into a death glare.

"He is your father too...."

"No, he wasn't. He called for your name every day and made me want to throw up when I heard your name,"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you know that we moved to Seoul to find you? But, you were there with your new family smiling without knowing your biological parent abusing his family? Looking at your smiling face when I was young just make me want to throw up."

"You know where I live?" Her tears started falling on her cheek.

"Of course. Your father was looking for you all the time and finally found you with Son's family, laughing without a burden," the truth made her tears falling unstoppably.

"Why he didn't come for me?" She trembled.

"He didn't want you to live with a poor parent in Seoul," he smirked. The fact twitched her heart and she grabbed her chest tight. Her father was coming for her, but she didn't even know it.

"Why?"

"Why??? Don't you know how much I was starving not only for food but also for his attention? Your father abused my mother and never did much for me. HIS ONLY CHILD! HE PREFERS TO MEET YOU FROM AFAR THAN WAITING FOR ME WHEN I WAS SICK. HE ABUSED US. DON'T YOU KNOW??!" he broke the door and mirror he could see with his foot or his fist to let out his frustration.

"LOOK!! This head that was being hit by him when I was trying to drag you out to meet him when he finally found your place of living," He pointed to the scar that was being hidden by his hair.

"He always slapped me when I was trying to cover my mother. You didn't know how much my mother suffered because of you!!!" He pointed his index finger to her.

"I was being beaten all day all night when I told him to stop talking about you!! Listening to your name was always what he had longed for was disgusting and torturing to me. He never put his attention to me!! I AM HIS CHILD TOO!!!"

"And you... are the one who gets a better life after finding a newly rich family!! HE SHOULD BE THANKFUL. IF HE DIDN'T WANT TO REACH YOU BACK, AT LEAST HE SHOULD TREAT US AS HUMAN!!"

"Your mother abused me first..." Yejin's mumbled and her memories were coming rising her heartbeat. The memories were taken her back and made it difficult to breathe. Her body was shaking and leaned her palm to the nearest wall."YOUR MOTHER ABUSED ME WHEN SHE WAS CARRYING YOU INSIDE. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT!! YOUR MOTHER PUT ME IN THE ORPHANAGE WHEN SHE WAS CARRYING YOU!!! YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT!"

-------

-Flashback to Yejin when she was five years old-

Yejin was playing with her doll in front of her house. Her legs fidgeted and her hands played with the doll happily.

"KIm Yejin??" her stepmother's voice raised from behind and Yejin woke up with her shaking body. Her stepmother came to her with her death glare.

"What are you doing??"

"I am..." she looked down to the ground didn't want to meet her stepmother's eyes.

"You broke the plate???" She shouted and came to reach her body fast and hit her loud. Yejin with her tiny body cried hard from the sudden punishment while her stepmother kept on hitting her to make her realize what she had done.

"You know that we are poor and you waste the thing we shouldn't. How can you be like this? Huh??" With the innocence of five years old girl, she just kept crying didn't know what to do when no one in the house except for her stepmother and her. Her father with all his effort went for every kind of job that made him often spent his time outside than in the home. Marrying a new woman he thought would make her daughter happier when he was outside but, it was different when the new mother got pregnant in the early marriage.

Every day, she was being beaten by her mother for making mistakes the toddlers usually did. Breaking the plate, spilling water, and falling from playing. She got punishment for every mistake she did. And for the last, she was brought to Seoul without her knowing and her stepmother left her without saying anything. She waited for her to come, but she ended crying out loud by herself in front of the orphanage.

-End of flashback-

-----

"I don't care about that! You gave me a living like a hell. Seeing my mother being hit by your father everyday. Don't you know how it felt!" he screamed out of his lung.

"He never gave me a good living instead of torture for the whole of my life," he said as gritting his teeth coming closer choking her neck with his hand.

"You don't know how I was living like a beggar than a human these whole times!" he put his head closer and smirked while Yejin was trying to pull out his hand that choke her neck.

"Then why did he marry my mother??" He tightened his choke while his eyes burning from tears. "Why did he kill my mother when he was the one who picked her as his wife? WHY???" his choke suffocated her. She hit his hand to let out of her when she was trying to get free.

"Seeing you again makes my blood boiled. Ah right!" he put the blade closer to her neck and laughing hard.

"It is exciting to know that you're a helpless one when your husband isn't around," he raised the corner of his lip with a smirk. Suddenly the door was banged by the fist and the voice of Hyunbin calling for Yejin worriedly. "Oh no! He is coming." he laughed like crazy. "Ah, Yes. I am sorry for the terrors that were stopped. Your husband really wants to involve in someone's business. Every time I sent the gifts for you, HE ALWAYS DESTROYED THEM! HOW CAN I TELL YOU THAT I HAD KILLED YOUR FATHER!! I REALLY WANT YOU TO KNOW I ENDED MY YEARS OF TORTURE AND PROUDLY ANNOUNCE I AM FREE FROM THE DEVIL!! " he choked her tightly while gritting his teeth hard. "And now, it's your turn. Let's bid a farewell!" he smirked and touched her neck with the blade slowly teasing her.

'BRAK'

Hyeonjin raised the blade wanted to stab her right on her neck. Right before the blade touched her skin, the blade was grabbed by Hyunbin. Hyunbin hardly pulled out the blade away from Yejin and snatched the blade before he kicked Kim Hyeonjin until he fell to the ground. At the same time, Yejin fell on the ground and grabbed the neck that was choked by Kim Hyeonjin while coughing to catch her breath. Hyunbin hit Kim Hyeonjin's face unstoppably while covering Yejin. The blood that was drooling from Hyunbin's palm splashed around Kim Hyeonjin face as he was beating Kim reporter mercilessly.

Seeing the helpless body of Hyeonjin, Yejin stopped Hyunbin by grabbing his trouser.

"Oppa... he is still my little brother," she said in a cracked voice while choking constantly. Hyunbin turned his face to Yejin and back to the bastard that was helplessly laid on the floor. He turned to Yejin and grabbed her shoulders tightly scrunching his face realizing the pain that started tingling on his palm.

"Are you okay?" Hyunbin tried to smile asking about her condition. He looked at her from every side to make sure she was alright.

"OPPA!" she screamed when she saw Kim Hyeonjin rising the blade to Hyunbin.

'DOOR'

At the same time, Hyunbin fell on her hug and Kim Hyeonjin was laid helplessly after being shot on his shoulder by the police behind. Two polices, Hwang Yijeong, Jung Woosung, and her manager ran to the three of them in rush.

Shocking from the moment, Yejin didn't know what to do and was speechless seeing her husband falling on her with blood. Slowly, her hand touched his back, and felt something wet drooling from it. Her hand was shaking to know that it was his blood. Her ears were deafened and couldn't hear every single thing the people were asking about their condition. She was focused on the one on her hug.

"Ple..please help!" She stuttered as the tears started running from her face. She tightened her hug and cried helplessly to look for anyone who can help Hyunbin.

"PLEASE HELP MY HUSBAND!!!" she shouted.

*****((()))*****

Yejin was looking in a daze at the blood on her hands in the emergency room. Fortunately, the doctor said that the wound was still in a surface area and it wouldn't threaten his life. She almost lost her grip when she first knew about the explanation. Her hand grabbed the nearest wall and she smiled faintly to the doctor and kept bowing before waiting for his treatment in the nearest seat.

"Yejin-ah!" a familiar voice comes in her direction while running.

"Oppa...!" She smiled when she saw her brother was coming. His concern for her warmed her heart. Even though he wasn't her biological brother, he reassured her. He was patting her back while hugging her tightly.

"It is okay, Hyunbin would be fine."

----

"Oppa, why are you here?" said Yejin after calming herself.

"I heard about your marriage rumor. I wanted to convince myself and asked Hyunbin. But, he sounded worried too much when he told me something might happen to you. And when I reached the place you held the press conference. There was a crowd and I saw you were crying over someone's body. And I thought it would be Hyunbin," he explained the words gingerly.

"You heard about the rumor..." Yejin pushed him away and held her hand tightly. "I am sorry, Oppa..."

"Why are you saying sorry?"

"It is just..."

"Were I forcing you too much back then before your marriage?"

"No, Oppa..." she mumbled and started sobbing.

"Yah... Woosik-ah! Why are you here?" Hyunbin's voice came closer as they turned their faces to him. He smiled with his pale face and walked toward them while scrunching his face. Yejin who was waiting for his treatment which felt like endless waiting ran toward him.

She hugged him in relief. She felt that her weighted heart was finally losing its weight. She hugged his neck tightly while tears streaming all over her face. Hyunbin who was still feeling the pain, scrunched his face slightly as he smiled and replying her hug back.

"Oppa, Are you fine?" she sobbed while tightening her hug.

"Let's go home! I can't stand with the hospital's smell," he rubbed her back reassuring her.

*****((()))*****

Jung Woosung, Hwang Yijeong, and also Yejin's manager were called to be the witnesses of the incident in the Police Station. Furthermore, they were also being the witness about the terror that terrorized Yejin. The police had gotten a report by Hyunbin of Yejin was being terrorized by someone. All the gifts and information were collected with the help of Jung Woosung and also Yejin's manager fasten the process. And for the last minute, Yijeong was coming to give the suspect who would do all the scary things with the footage in Hyunbin's Exhibition.

The day was coming when the rumor about the marriage was spread. As the terror was said, he would do something when the movie was released. Hyunbin called the police right after Yijeong said about the person was appearing after the rumor spread. He felt something bad might happen at the conference. And it must be him who started the rumor since he got the privilege of making the article as a reporter.

"From the gifts that were collected to us. Kim Hyeonjin also was being a suspect of a murder," the police officer closed the conversation.

"What? Murder?" Hwang Yijeong asked with a furrowed brows.

"Who was the one he murdered?" Woosung added.

"His father."

*****((()))*****

-Flashback to a day before the meeting of Son's family and Kim's family to arrange the marriage between Yejin and Hyunbin-

Hyunbin was sitting in front of the bartender gulping glasses of beer. His mind was ruined after the scandal about Yejin and Woosung. He ordered a bottle of beer once again from the bartender and he poured the beer into his glass over again. He hiccuped as his face reddened and his eyes drooped.

"Yah... What is happening?" Woosik tapped his back after taking a seat beside him. He put his workbag above the table and turned it into his best friend beside him.

"I broke with Junyoung.... heheheheh hik..." he giggled proudly. "Finally, I am free ...." he stretched his arms while Woosik tried to calm his arm not to smack him. Woosik fixed his suit with his hand.

"So... is it caused by Junyoung or Yejin?" Woosik asked. He knew his best friend for so long. He went for drunk were always caused by Yejin and he was always listening to his drunken chaos before becoming a driver for him. However, the news about he broke up with Junyoung also could be one of the reasons he came to get drunk.

"I don't know..." he poured the beer in his glass recklessly as the beer split all over the table. He grabbed the glass and gulped it in instant. "I am too happy to break my relationship with Junyoung, but I am still hurting when I heard about Yejin's news."

"What do you mean?"

"Even after years, I am still loving her... hehehehehe..." he hiccuped. He swayed his focus to his glass once again and poured the beer again.

"Go get her then!" Woosik said bluntly. Hyunbin stopped pouring and slammed the bottle on the table. He gulped the beer fast and wiped his mouth. He turned his body to face Woosik.

"Brother in law. I want to. I want to. But, why?? Even there are tons of men. That Woosung's name as being the one to be paired with her. She loves him," he grabbed Woosik collar and hit his head to Woosik chest.

"Yah.. yah don't do it! I have a wife now. People will think we are gay," Woosik pushed him away.

"Wife???" Hyunbin tilted his head aside. "How lucky you're! I really want to have a wife," he sighed.

"Get married then!"

"But, I want Yejin!!!" he shouted at Woosik while grabbing his collar once again.

"Propose her!"

"How can I? She loves Woosung. I really want to marry her," he sighed in disbelief. "I really want to marry her..." he mumbled. He dazed for a moment and broke into a laugh. "If I marry her, I would challenge you. The one who makes our wife pregnant first would be the winner....heheheheh..." he laughed and made Woosik startled. Hyunbin smiled sheepishly while imagining the idea. Like a mood swing, he dropped his mood suddenly. "But, it would never have happened. Yejin would always awesome over there with awesome man," he sighed and dropped his head to the table.

"This man really. How can you lose your confidence? You were a superstar when you were playing football back then." Woosik mumbled. "You are also a rich man now. What are you lacking? Woosung?" Woosik tilted his head aside. "Ehmmm... That is true if he is awesome," he nodded agreeing to the statement. "You should try harder to get her if he is your rival. But, try it!"

"Yah... Should I help you?" Woosik shook his body slightly when he didn't get Hyunbin's answer.

"A@&£bhhlwhzgn;×€_," Hyunbin mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" He sighed.

-to be continued-

Authors note:

Hi my beloved reader ^^

Here is an update ^^

Thank you for giving a tap on the star, comments, and direct messages that support me much all this time ^^

Enjoy the story and meet me again next chapter ^^

And for the last, kindly check my other stories The Binding Angel, Through Their Lenses, and The Luckiest ^^

Sincerely, Byeol-nim