Chapter 20

-Flashback to when Kim Hyeonjin found his mother was being abused by his father-

His heart felt lighter as he walked happily going home after receiving his bonus after his article about Yejin's scandal he made getting massive attention. He bought a box of premium beef to be eaten with the three of them in the house. The rusty door creaked when he opened anticipating his mother welcome him.

"Mom, I am home..." he shouted happily.

'PRANG'

Suddenly, he heard a plate was scattered, and the scream of his mother inside the house. He opened the door hurriedly and he found his father slamming the house properties with his reddened face and weighted breath. The box of beef he holds was fallen when he was seeing her mother who fell on the ground with bruises on her face.

"DAD...!" he shouted and walked to their direction hurriedly covering his helpless mother's body.

"You!!! What are you doing??" His father held his collar tightly while glaring at him.

"STOP ABUSING MY MOTHER CAN'T YOU??" He spared his father's grab harshly.

"AND YOU!!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT???" his father grabbed his collar again and beat his face. "HOW DARE YOU MAKE A SCANDAL OF YOUR SISTER??" his father pulled him closer and slapped his cheek.

"Stop it!" His mother screamed hugging her son tightly didn't want her son getting beaten by his father.

"Why??" Hyeonjin wiped the blood on the corner of his lips and spit it on the floor. "WHY???" his eyes widened and grabbed his father's collar's back. "I AM TIRED OF THESE S. SHE DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW HER FATHER'S CONDITION, YET YOU'RE PROTECTING HER!!" He punched his father's face until he fell and grabbed his mother's hand tried to leave his helpless father on the floor.

"Stop !" his father grabbed Hyeonjin's mother's leg who was trying to leave the scene while crying.

"???" Hyeonjin glanced to the back narrowing his eyes. Listening to the harsh word to his mother, he was back in his direction and pulled the collars closer.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN??" Hyeonjin punched him back while his mother busily trying to stop her son to hit his father.

"YOUR MOTHER IS THE ONE WHO STARTED IT!!!" his father spitted the blood on his mouth. "She is the one who put Yejin in the orphanage!!! You should be lucky that I raised you well while Yejin wasn't," Hyeonjin narrowed his eyes gritting his teeth.

"YOU RAISED ME?? WHAT S DO YOU TALKING ABOUT?? ABUSED?? IS IT CALLED WITH RAISED??" Hyeonjin gritted his teeth.

"STOP IT, HYEONJIN-AH!" his mother cried loudly and stopping him to beat his father. Like his ears were being deafened, he couldn't help and pushed her mother away harshly until her mother's head hit the corner of the table and fell on the ground with fresh blood flowing from her head. Like being possessed he went to the kitchen and grab the knife he saw and back to his father swaying the knife high.

-End of flashback-

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

-A week after the incident in Yejin's movie's conference-

Hyeonjin was sitting on the hospital bed while his hand was handcuffed with the edge of the bed. Looking at the face he was hated for so long standing in front of him, made his corner lips raising. The pale face without make-up with hands clasped on her clutch with police behind her, showing her weakness that needed someone to protect her, disgust him.

"How are you?" she stuttered asking for his condition with teary eyes.

"I couldn't even kill you," he smirked roaming his eyes at the room.

"What do you want?" Yejin's eyes trembled and she took a deep breath after a long pause. "Little brother..."

"Little brother??" Hyeonjin asked spitting out on the ground.

"How can I pay all my father had done to you?" Her hands trembled but she clasping on the clutch tight to calm herself. "I am sorry for everything he had done to you..."

"I really want you in the ash barrel and put it beside your father's ash barrel," he laughed.

"Hyeonjin-ssi..."

"Why??" He snarled

"I come here with a ..."

"I don't even care with you. As long as you suffered as I did, it is all I need," he hissed. "But... ! I should attend the assembly. Just if I succeeded in killing you I will satisfy enough to be charged with a death!" He tightened his grip. "Unfortunately, you are safe. your husband! The one who always gets rid of my way!" he glared at Yejin.

"Don't involve my husband here!" Yejin's hands tightened with tears started flowing on her cheeks.

"He did it, first..." he said calmly glaring at her. He let silence aroused between them to make her understand their distance. "Ah... there is a chance for you to pay..."

"What is it?"

"Since you won't give any advantages for me," he raised his handcuffed hand. "Maybe, you can make advantages for my friend out there," he smirked.

"Who is the one you're talking about?"

"Sir, I heard she was being inspected after the incident?" he turned to face the police who was standing behind Yejin.

"She was released," the police answered. Yejin's brows furrowed hearing the word 'she'

"Waw... Her power is amazing. I found an excellent friend to mess up your life, Yejin-ssi..." he smiled full of meaning with his deep stare. His smile then turned into a smirk looking at her.

"Who is she?"

"My partner on making your scandal..."

"Who is she?" Yejin grip tightened on the clutch enough to rip the leather knowing someone other than her little brother made a scandal of her. For a long time, she did her best to keep her image while others were trying to ruin it in instant, which made her speechless.

"You know her!" He raised a brow.

"W... who?"

"Your husband also knows her. I bet you understand now." He smiled wider after knowing her drastic change in her facial expression. "Ah... meeting you is tiring enough," he yawned loudly in purpose glancing at her. "Let me sleep comfortably before I face the charge, sister!" he laid his back on the bed and turned his back against her.

"Let me ask you for the last!" She said while her whole body was shaking hard. "Where is my father's ash barrel placed?"

"SHUT UP!!"

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

Right after leaving the hospital, Yejin came to Junyoung's place with the help of Jung Woosung on the phone. Even she knew he wasn't her real boyfriend but, she gambled on asking him. Surprisingly, he knew the address since they lived in the same agency. She was standing by herself in front of her apartment door fidgeting her fingers nervously. She took a deep breath and pressed the bell. The door opened and there was Junyoung with a black outfit looking at her with a smirk.

"Sister??" She laughed and opened the door widely. Yejin looked at her mocking face with reddened eyes holding her anger. Junyoung's hand welcoming her to come inside with a faintly smile. Gingerly, Yejin came inside her place and roaming her eyes on her neat apartment. "Let's sit! Sister!" she smirked and let her sit on the couch in the living room.

"I came just for asking what my little brother was asking for,"

"Just sit first, sister! It will take time..." she tapped her shoulder lightly and let her sit on the couch comfortably. After letting her sit, Junyoung also spent her time making a coffee for Yejin in purpose.

Yejin was frozen in the place waiting for her to open up the conversation. Without any longer, Junyoung came with two cups of coffee and put the one in front of Yejin while she was sitting right in front of her.

"Drink first!" Junyoung signed her hand to drink the coffee. Meanwhile, Yejin was only looking at the coffee with a dazed look without touching it.

"What does he want?"

"Ehmmm... your death! Only that!" She smiled calmly.

"He told me that...."

"Ah... Divorce!" Junyoung cut her speech after tilting her head aside. Listening to the word divorce boiled Yejin's blood as her brows twitching into one.

"I won't..." Yejin gritted her teeth tightly glaring at her.

"Your death then..." she shrugged her shoulders while sipping the coffee.

"Is it he want? Or you?" Yejin sighed in disbelief holding the tears that were held in her eyes.

"It is the same though..." Junyoung sipped the coffee while diverting her gaze from Yejin.

"The rumor is still rising out there... Isn't it enough for you?" Yejin replied.

"I know, but it isn't the one I want. Because your agency said that you are still in talks with your husband before making a conference," she put her cup on the table and looked at Yejin straight.

"We won't divorce," Yejin's voice was shaken.

"Waaw... that is different..." she smirked.

"What do you mean?"

"If I put an option to Hyunbin, he would pick right away as long as you are safe,"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Yejin snarled.

"Yah... are you innocent or something? He is willingly do anything for you."

"We won't divorce!" Yejin stated once again firmly.

"He picked me to be his girlfriend to hide the photo of him kissing your forehead while you were sleeping. He picked me to be his girlfriend, so it wouldn't make a scandal for you who started rising your fame back then. Isn't it romantic??" she smiled widely widening her eyes proudly leaking the truth behind her past relationship with Hyunbin.

"You forced him?" She stuttered as a tear wet her cheek.

"Yes, I did!" She nodded proudly.

"What do you want?"

"I just want you to go from the entertainment industry,"

"Why?" Yejin furrowed her brows being irritated.

"You snatched my first ever agency,"

"I don't know what do you mean..." Yejin scrunched her brows in confusion.

"In Senior High-School. Waaa... You're being impolite to your senior," Junyoung sipped her coffee once again.

"Senior??"

"What the heck are you, Yejin??" She slammed her cup until it was broken. Junyoung toom a glance at the bleed on her hand smirking. "You don't even know I was your Senior in High School. Okay, I think we should end it fast! I have all the facts about HB's Signature, the owner, the owner's affair before with Son Yejin, and the owner is Yejin's husband on me... For this whole time, I collected your information and Hyunbin. Even though Kim reporter couldn't do the exposure, he has me. You know it yourself that your husband hates exposure," she grinned.

"Honestly, What is your goal?"

"I told you! It is his wish!!"

"I told you, I won't divorce..." Yejin woke up from her seat and went to the main door before she chose the wrong choice.

"Seoul Exhibition..." Junyoung grabbed her hand from behind and whispered right in her ear making Yejin stopped right in front of the main door.

"What will you do?"

"It is his biggest and special exhibition," she added. "Ah... You should know that your husband willing to do everything he can to protect you. Started from High School, terrors from Kim reporter that he got rid of before you find it, and I heard that Kim reporter succeeds in cutting his palm and back instead of you. He suffered too much for you. Don't you want to make him happier in his life? I feel sorry for him." she put on a fake saddened face.

"Wh...What?" She stuttered.

"Why can't you do the same for your husband?" She smirked. "You also want to pay for your little brother. At least in one action, you can grant your little brother and husband's wish. It is simple..."

"You..."

"I give you a week and come to me with a signed divorce letter or else the special exhibition of your husband would turn into a mess."

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

Hyunbin was going home late while Yejin was already waiting for him inside his bedroom. The conversation she did with Junyoung and all the truths she spilled made her head hurt and ruined her mind. She looked at the divorce paper in her hand slowly. The tears flowed from her eyes as she watched line per line on the paper. Hyunbin was willingly do anything to protect her ever since she started rising her fame.

Years of relationship with Junyoung that she thought making him happier was wrong. He was forced to do so. The truth weighted her heart and bursting her tears. The Seoul Exhibition that he told her was the biggest and special one for him. Turning back to the scene she thought Junyoung was his beloved girlfriend that was actually used to protect her image. The image she developed well since she started acting almost drowned in instant but, he stopped it in a way she didn't know. The story only she didn't know that hurting him for years. He had been holding it for years with a wicked woman only for her.

She couldn't imagine the work he built for so long as the successful potter would drown in an instant if she didn't sign the divorce paper. She cupped her face with a hand and covered her trembling lips. They just found their happiness yet it came without no one noticing.

"Yejin-ah..." a voice she was longed for coming from her back. "Why out of sudden you? Yah..." he couldn't hold his happiness looking at the silhouette of his wife wearing a thin layer of lingerie and rob showing her porcelain skin. Hearing his voice made her putting the paper on the bedside table and wiped the tears in instant. "Yah... are you crying?" he added in confusion.

"No, Oppa I am not..." she woke up and turned her back to face him and walked in the other side of the bed where Hyunbin was standing. "Are you tired?" She forced her smile as opening his tie. "Did the Exhibition meeting go well?" She pulled out his tie while his hand hugged her waist tightly.

"You look beautiful with this..." he traveled his finger from her neck pushed the thin fabric slowly showing her soft shoulder. He gulped his throat when the fabric easily falling and exposed his wife's body. Slowly, his lips touched the exposed shoulder. "You look beautiful..." he whispered and cupped the shoulder inch by inch until he stopped on her neck and he inhaled her fresh citrus smell on her soft skin.

"Do you like it, Oppa?" she whispered softly right on his ear.

Listening to her seducing voice, he pulled out his lips from her neck and looked straight into her eyes.

"You are beautiful as always..." he smiled raising a brow and hugged her waist closer and cupped her lips harshly.

Yejin closed her eyes tight and grabbing his cheeks closer deepening the kiss. The feeling from him that flowed as the lips moves that also twitched her heart. He was willingly do anything for her even he should throw his heart away back then. The tears streamed on her cheeks while she keeps his lips and she let him do anything on her as he should get. Yejin dropped her grab from the cheeks to his shoulders and turned his body to face the bed and she pushed him until he was being thrown on the bed. He balanced with his hands while keep kissing her wildly as she hugged put him between her legs.

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Hyunbin let out the sigh hard with a satisfied look after pulling his body and laid beside her while she was lying on his embrace inside the blanket scrunching her body like a baby. He couldn't stop smiling while managing his breath while he used a hand to cover his eyes. The best thing he experienced with a naughty Yejin made him fall for her deeper.

"Oppa..." she mumbled which made his smile wider listening to her voice.

"Why Yejin-ah...?"

"Are you willing to do anything for me?" She whispered as folding her lips inside holding her tears.

"Sure..." he sighed and turned his face to her.

"Let's divorce!" She sighed with her trembling lips.

"What??" He scrunched his face being irritated by her wish.

"Let's divorce, Oppa!" She faced him bravely staring at his shocked face.

"What do you mean?"

"Oppa, Please!" she sighed and dropping her head hiding the tears she held.

"Look at me, Yejin-ah!" He tilted her chin to face him. Looking at her trying hard to hold her tears while diverting her gaze from him twitched his heart. He bit his lower lip in disbelief about what is happening. "I can do anything... but not divorce..." he sighed as the tears welling in his eyes.

"Oppa, please..."

"Tell me the reason I should divorce you!" He glanced at her anticipating her answer.

"I found someone I love already..." she said expressionlessly. He narrowed his eyes being irritated.

"You love me..." he asked convincingly that it wasn't true.

"I never said that I love you..." she replied.

"Are you playing with me?" he tilted her chin harsher to look at him. He glared at her while furrowing his brows at Yejin with her tears. "Tell me it is a lie..." he softened his voice after looking at her reddened face.

"You told me that we could divorce after finding someone we love, Oppa!" she said with her poker face once again. He gritted his teeth twitching his brow and he aroused his breathing.

"I found you..."

"I found someone I love, Oppa..." she replied. Her blunt statement made him caressing her cheek harshly and kiss her lips deeply. He tightened his grip and ate her lips hungrily with tears streaming all over his face. Meanwhile, she was frozen didn't do anything about his embrace. His heart thorn when he didn't feel her move and keep in silence like a statue. He did anything he could to make her closer. But, her silence hurt him until he gave up. He her lips for the last giving up on her.

"Why did you do that?" he sighed.

Yejin was frozen and didn't give him an answer with her empty gaze. She didn't give him any answer and let him look at her in confusion without explanation.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" he shook her shoulders harshly. "WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER?" he shouted at her frustratedly.

"Oppa, if we meet again in the future, I hope you won't change," she stopped as she tried to regain her strength to say the words she didn't want to. "I want to play a puzzle with you again," she said with her cracked voice. "Please be like we did in the past! Let's forget this marriage and let's pretend that this marriage has never happened!" she said emotionlessly with tears running on her cheeks.

"HOW CAN I??" he shouted loudly.

"Oppa, I am happy you are willingly becoming like my brother..."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY BROTHER? I AM YOUR HUSBAND!" he shouted in anger.

"I know you can find a better woman than me..."

"NO ONE WOULD!"

"I think we couldn't meet for years ahead. But please recognize me and greet me as the little sister when we meet..." she said still being emotionlessly ignoring his shout.

"Who asked you to do that? Junyoung?" He asked narrowing his eyes knowing something wrong.

"It comes from me, Oppa..." she smiled faintly diverting her eyes from his gaze

"She forced you to do that." He caressed her cheek and wiped the tears on her cheek. "Tell me what she did to you? We can go through this together," he begged as tears ponded in his eyes.

"See you again, Oppa!" she kissed his lips softly for a second. "I will be missing you..." she whispered and tried to wake up from the bed. Didn't want her leaving his side, his hand grabbed her to lay back beside him and hugged her tightly not letting her go.

"I am the husband here. I won't let you go!" he warned her right on her ear.

"Alright, Oppa. I will be here until tomorrow," she nodded on his chest still being emotionless.

"I will give you time to think about this. I won't easily make it happen," he tightened his hug.

"I will take the divorce paper after you sign it," she replied.

"STOP IT! YEJIN-AH!" he sobbed while caressing her soft hair couldn't believe it would happen to their marriage after fighting for his only love for years.

-to be continued-

Authors note:

Hi my beloved reader ^^

Here is an update ^^

I want to announce that this story would end soon. More two chapters to go ^^

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