Kim Tae-Hee

I told my uncle to take to my mom.

I was feeling nervous the whole ride to the cemetery. I don't know if it's a good idea or bad to go there. I don't want to have any panic attacks there.

The car stops in front of the gate of the cemetery. The big irons door. The silence was echoing in the whole place. I get out of the car. Uncle was already out of it. I look at my uncle. Tears were sliding down his sunken cheeks. I hold his hand. He looks at our intertwined fingers. His gaze went up. I tried to give him my best smile but I failed.

My heart was beating rapidly. My Hands start getting sweaty. Tears were at the brink of my eyes. The wind making my hair dance with it.

It steps feel so heavy. As the distance between me and the grave was decreasing, my body was giving up. I need to be strong for my uncle. I can't break down so easily.

We stop in front of the grave. Oh Jeon-Joo was written on it. I fall down on my knees in front of it. The tears got free to slide down and paint my cheeks.

Uncle says a few prayers and walk away, giving me privacy. He knows everything about me. He knows what I need and when.

I move my hand over my mom's grave.

"I miss you so much, mom. Today is your princess's birthday. Mom, I really miss you a lot. I wish I could hug you mom. I miss your warmth, love, care, everything. Mom, I can say this I miss you the whole day. I really do miss you. I wanted to share my every happiness with you mom. Every night I look at the sky and find the less shining star. You told me after you will leave me, you will become the less shining star. I wish you are here. Mom, do you know I have a boyfriend Kim Won-Jun. he is not at all like dad. He is thousand times better than him. He shares with me everything. He hears my story, my pain everything. Even if I am angry and told him to leave me alone. He sticks to me more. He tells me when I am wrong. He is helping me every day to fight with my own demon. He really love me a lot mom. His every action shows that he means his 'I love you'. Today I am gonna tell him how much he means to me. I don't know if he will hurt me or not. But every single day spent with him are my life's best days.

Mom, today dad organised a grand party for me. In that party he is going to insult his daughter badly. He is gonna destroy his own daughter."

A sarcastic laugh escaped from my lips. I sat there till the watch shows the time of getting ready for the party.

I poured my heart to my mom. I told her all the 11 years stories stored in my heart. I feel so relieved after telling her all.

I feel so light after a long time. I wish I had visited mom before.

The sun was sinking down. Leaving behind the beautiful scenery. Colouring the sky with different colours. It's telling the world its simple white light is a mixture of many collared lights.

I sat inside the car. Uncle Henry take me back to the hotel.

***

My phone starts ringing as I reached my room. I pick the call.

"Hey Kim Tae-Hee," Kim Tan speak from the other side.

"HI. Kim Tan. I am really sorry for going away from there like that." my voice sounds so tired.

"It's fine. Don't say sorry. Ji-Hu explained us why you left like that. Your dad is holding a party for you. Are you going to come to it?" I heard low voice of Kim Won-Jun.

"Yes. I have to go. I have no other choice besides going there. You two will come too."

"Who two?" He tried to fool me.

"Kim Won-Jun is with you. Give him the phone. I have to ask him something." I ordered him.

"What you have to say to me?"

"Will you be my partner? Will you go to the party with me?" I am nervous. I am afraid of rejection.

"Of course." The hooting's could be heard in the background.

I cut the call. I starts getting ready for the party. The beautician arrived at the same time, she was told too.

The rest of the time was spent in getting ready.

***

I look at myself in the mirror. My dress looks amazing. It's hugging my body perfectly. I look really beautiful in this black and white knee length frock. The makeup was done perfectly. The black clutch handing on my shoulder.

"Thank you very much for making me ready so beautifully."

"It's my job."

Someone was knocking at the door. I opened the door. A handsome man was standing in front of me. He was wearing a black tuxedo. His hairs were properly done.

"You look handsome Kim Won-Jun." a blush arises on his cheeks. He looks sexy in this whole new look.

"I am thinking that you should just stay here in the room. Okay? I will go myself and then we both will go on a date? What say?" a mischievous grin appear on his face.

"Why?"

His hand went around my waist. He pulls me closer. My one hand was on his chest and other on his shoulder.

"Because I don't want any other girl to see you today."

I kiss on his cheeks. The blush gets more darkened. "Then we both should stay back here." He kissed on my lips.

"Let's go we are getting late." He remove his hand from my waist. I did the same. I hold his hand. He lean forward.

"Did I told you, you look breathtakingly beautiful?" He whispered in my ear before kissing on my cheek.

"No. You haven't." I close my eyes.

"Let's continue this later. Because I am late for my party."

He holds my hand and we both went to his cars.

The hold ride went in complementing each other.

***

The car stops in front of the hotel where the party is organised. The media has crowded near the entrance. Everyone who was coming were posing in front of them. All guest were from elite class. Their clothes were screaming expensiveness.

I starts feeling nervous seeing all this media, reporters and all.

"Everything will be fine. We will just go out and go inside. We will not pose like those all people. Guards are standing outside to take us inside safely. Don't worry love," Kim Won-Jun whispered to me.

He gets out of the car. He opens the door for me. He extend his hand for me to take it. I took it. I slide out of the car.

The cameras were clicking our photos. We did as Kim Won-Jun said. Just in few minutes we were inside the big room full of elite people.

All faces look unknown. I don't know if dad has invited my friends or not. Maybe he did because all are from rich families.

Dad and his wife were taking to people. Their children were missing.

I found Kim Woo-Bin standing in the corner with a beautiful lady. He looked at me. He come towards me with his girlfriend. Both were looking beautiful together. They are match made in heaven.

"You look beautiful today," brother complemented me.

"Happy birthday sis."

"Thank you." He wraps his hands around my body. I hug him back.

"You look very beautiful. Finally I got to meet the infamous Kim Tae-Hee. I heard a lot about you, a lot. Your brother spend most of the time talking about you," Gu Hye-Sun said with a beautiful smile.

This new confession is shocking for me. I looked at Kim Woo-Bin. He was looking on the ground. Someone little secret is out today. Before I could say anything to him. He spoke up, "Your friends are standing near food area."

Then he dragged his girlfriend away from us.

"See I told you, your brother loves you a lot," Kim Won exclaimed.

I nod. A new warmth spread in my heart. A new hope lights in my soul. But a fear of destruction has started scrawling in my veins. I am trying to ignore this.

"Let's meet our friends. I need to get a gift from Kim Tan. You haven't gifted me anything till now." I look at him with narrowed eyes. I extend my hand forward.

Instead of giving something, he put his hand on my hand.

"I will give you later. Its special one. So you have to wait for It." his voice become husky erotic whisper. I feel the heat raising to my cheeks.

"Then let's meet our friend." I dragged him to the place where my stupid friends were standing.

The compliments and teasing starts as they saw me and Kim Won-Jun wearing matching clothes. I know I has turned into a colour of beetroot. I look at Ji-Hu. He was staring at me with a big smile. I clasped him in a warm hug. I smiled with twinkling tears falling from my eyes. He placed his hands around me.

He is most important person of my life.

They rest stops speaking. I don't care if they all will gossip about this. I just care about the person I am hugging.

"I love you a lot. Ji-Hu a lot," I whispered in his ears.

"I love you too so much Kim Tae-Hee."

We both remove our hands from around each other. He wipe the tears stain from my cheek by his handkerchief.

"Hey Ji-Hu, you can't just hug my girl like this in front of me," Kim Won-Jun tried to act jealous. But who cares. He knows what Ji-Hu means to me.

"Next time if you touch her, I am gonna break your hands." He threatened him.

"Next time if you threatened my best friend, I am gonna break your face." I spoke the words with the hint of menace.

We all broke into laughter. My laugh was somewhere sounded fake to me. As the time was passing, nervous and fear was increasing. I didn't let anyone see past the smile I was wearing the whole time.

We all were indulge in talking about random things, teasing each other. Kim Tan was busy in talking with Rachel Yoo. He even forget to give me my gift.

"Today someone is so busy. He even forget that today is his friend's birthday. But anyway I will also act like I had also forget him." I shrugged my shoulder. Kim Tan and Rachel Yoo both looked at me. Their faces were red. Kim Tan rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Before he could say anything, I heard my dad wishing me on the mic. We all move towards the place where he was standing.

A champagne glass was in his left hand and mic in his right hand. He continue speaking, "Happy birthday to my Beautiful daughter Kim Tae-Hee-"

My stomach churns. My heart was pounding. I feel like Kim Won-Jun could hear my nervous breath because his hold on my hand gets little tighter. I fidget with the hem of my frock. I was chewing my lips.

"- As my daughter has turned 18 years old, I have to give her a best gift too. I am so proud of her. She just looks like her mother today-"

All eyes turned to me. I feel uncomfortable under so many gazes. Dad voice was growing more sarcastic with each sentence.

"- So my gift for my precious daughter is .... I transferred 51% shares of my company under her name. And –"

My eyes goes wide. I turn on my heels to get out of this sophisticated room.

But he called my name, "-And ... Kim Tae-Hee wait. Where are you going child? I have to give you one more gift."

I turn back. His lips curled in a cunning smile. He is gonna destroy the new me today.

"So my second for you is that... I am gonna remove her name from the inheritance of my property after my death. In a simple sentence she is no longer my daughter." He is successful in killing me.

I turned on my heels and ran out of the room. Ignoring the cries of the people. The high heels making it difficult for me to ran. I fall down when I was coming down the stairs. A pain shoots on my left leg. I removed the heels and leave them there before getting up from the ground. I ran barefooted on the road.

I don't care what the bystander thinks of a girl running crazily on the road. Dad's face was coming in front of my eyes. His voice was mocking me. His words crushing my every single pieces harshly. Tears streaming down my eyes. My lungs were on fire. But I just wanted to go somewhere, somewhere away from everyone.

I don't know where I was going. I am going where my legs are taking me. My body gave up. My lungs need oxygen. I fall down on the ground on my knees forcefully. I looked like mess right now. I take deep long breaths to calm my body. My body was shaking. I wrapped a hand around myself.

After calming myself, I look at the place I had come. The sky was dark black, stars shinning. It looks like someone has scattered the pearls on the black velvet carpet. I was in the same park where Kim Tan had brought me.

I sat on the bench. The street lamp was igniting above my head. I look at the sole of my feet. The sand was sticking to my feet. There was a little scratch on my left elbow.

My own dad destroyed me. Tomorrow morning all news will be about this. Every news channel would be flashing this new. Everyone will be gossiping about this. They will point fingers at my mom's upbringing.

Brother will be so angry, disappointed at me. I wish he understood this time that dad is wrong. I wish he supports me this time.

Dad didn't understand what I wanted. I just wanted his love. I had always carved for his love and nothing else. I don't need a single penny from him. I just wanted my father time, love, care and attention. But this is too much to ask from him.

The news which was on the social sites few months back was true.

My trails of thoughts were broke when two strong arms clasped me in a hug. The scent tells who it is.

"I thought I lost you just like mom," he continue whispering in my ears.

I wrapped my hand around his body.

"You can't even imagine how scared I was when you ran away from there. I was so damn scared. When I came out of the hall, I saw your heels and purse on the ground. Your friends helped me in finding you. I... " he tighten the hold on my body. I feel a something liquid dropped on my shoulder one by one.

He is crying.

"Shhh! Stop crying. I am here with you. I am not going anywhere. I am here brother. Stop crying." I tried to calm him down. But the tears from his eyes keep falling on my bare skin.

I unwrap the hands away from his body. He did the same. I cup his face in my hands. I wipe the shinning tears from his cheeks by my thumb. He was sitting in front of me on his knees. His nose and eyes were red.

"I don't want to lose you sister. Please forgive me for everything. I am really sorry. I know I can't become a good brother when you needed me the most. But I really regret behaving so bad with you in the past. Right now too I regret everything I did with you. You are so important for me. I am really sorry. Please forgive me. I was so scared to lose you today. I felt the same fear today that I felt a long time before. Please... please don't leave me ever. I am sorry. I will not behave so badly with you. I will show you from now onwards I am your brother Kim Woo-Bin. I know I am very bad but I can't lose you. I will become good. I will do whatever you will say me to do. But please don't leave me." I keep a finger on his lips from stopping him to speak further.

"I will not leave you. I forgive you brother. Whatever you did is gone. It's past now. We will be together in future always. Stop regretting and feeling guilty of all you did in past. Let's move on. Let's make a better future. Let's make amazing memories now. Let's leave dad and shift to somewhere else. We both will step up our business together. I don't want to live with dad. Please let's go somewhere away from here, away from dad, away from everyone." a tear slides down from eyes.

"Of course we will shift to somewhere else. I had collected enough money which can help us in setting the new business. We will show our dad we can be successful without his help, his money. I also don't want to go back to dad now."

He holds my hands in his hands. "I want to go to dad. I need an answer of few questions from him."

He nods. He gets up from the ground. He removes his coat and put it on my shoulder. I wear his coat. He holds my cold hand. We both walked to his car. I need to be strong in front of my dad if I wanted to know the unrevealed secrets. 

Thank you everyone for reading my book. the next chapter will be the last chapter.