They say life isn't always fair. But is it really? Life isn’t fair because it’s relentless and unforgiving, stripping away everything that brings joy in an instant. Living can be cruel. Living a lie, for an entire lifetime, is terrifying. What if our lives are just that—a lie? Everything we hold dear, everything that seems simple and true, could be a twisted, painful falsehood. Friendships, love, the illusion of a happy family—all of it could be a lie. People lie to protect themselves, to shield their hearts from pain. Y/n had lied, and everyone had believed her, simply because she had never given them a reason not to.

––

The pack now had their Luna. He had his mate. Life felt perfect. Taehyung walked into school with a smile that could not be concealed, his happiness radiating from every pore. Being in her presence every day still wasn’t enough. No matter how many times his eyes met hers, his breath would catch in his throat, a rush of joy coursing through him. His mind whispered that it was clingy, but he ignored it. With a grin that had become permanent, Taehyung shook off the doubt. Was it wrong to feel this happy? He didn’t care. He was in love, and that was reason enough for his euphoria.

To his classmates, he must have appeared insane, the boy who smiled like an idiot over a girl. The giggles of girls who once swooned over him now felt like background noise. Taehyung didn’t mind; he was in love, and that was all that mattered.

It was the last class of the day. His eyes darted to the door each time it creaked open, hoping to see her. Finally, she walked in, and his grin deepened. She smiled at him, her cheeks flushing as she made her way to her seat. Minji raised her hand, interrupting the wave of bliss that washed over him.

“Yes, Minji?” he asked, his voice laced with humor.

“Mr. Kim, you look awfully happy today.”

“Minji, that happens when you’re in love, I think.” The class erupted into murmurs, some smirking, some muttering to their partners as if love was a contagious disease. Taehyung’s gaze found Y/n, seated just a few desks away, her smile soft and bright as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

The rest of the class passed in a blur, Shakespeare’s words the background to his thoughts. When the bell rang, he let out a happy sigh.

“Your assignment is to read Romeo and Juliet, Acts I and II. We’ll discuss them tomorrow,” he announced, as the room emptied like a storm had passed. He shut the door and made his way to her, who pretended to linger, packing her things slowly.

“I missed you,” he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I missed you too,” she replied, her voice soft but clear enough for him to hear.

“Do you have to embarrass me in class like that?” she teased, her eyes sparkling.

“I don’t know. Did I?” He played innocent, a smirk spreading across his lips.

“You know exactly what you did, Taehyung. Wipe that smirk off your face,” she retorted, resting her head on his shoulder.

“What! I’m not smirking.” He defended himself, the corners of his lips betraying him.

“Sure you are,” she teased.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“Not!”

A guilty look flashed in his eyes, and she laughed.

“You have that guilty face.”

“I do not.” He knew she was right.

“I could give you detention.”

“Please do. I hear the teacher is hot.” He winked.

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” she challenged.

“May I remind you that the hot teacher is also your boyfriend?”

“I know. And he’s mine.” She winked.

“That he is.”

“Mr. Kim, what will the girls say when they find out you have a girlfriend?”

“They’ll swoon, like heart-eyed emojis in real life.”

“Haha, serve you right.” She laughed, and he pulled her closer.

“But they don’t know that I’m hopelessly in love with you and that I always will be.”

“I love you,” he whispered, feeling the words anchor his heart.

––

If this is what love felt like, then she was in it—and it was more perfect than she ever imagined.

When she got home, the weight of happiness still lingered, his kisses warm on her skin, his words branded into her memory. Taehyung had dropped her off, promising to come back later. As she settled in front of the TV, a sharp ring of the doorbell cut through the comfort of her home.

Her heart quickened. It was strange; her mom wouldn’t be back for hours, and she usually let herself in. Something was off. Warily, Y/n opened the door, only to find a man standing there, his expression unreadable.

“Is this Jang Hye-won’s house?” he asked, his voice steady but demanding.

“Yes, but I don’t know you,” Y/n responded, suspicion creeping into her voice.

“May I come in?”

“Do I look like I invited you?” she retorted, but he stepped past her, ignoring her hesitation.

“You look just like your mother,” he said, eyes appraising her as though searching for something familiar.

“I’m sorry, how do you know her? She never mentioned you,” Y/n demanded, confusion gnawing at her.

“She wouldn’t. I can’t understand why.” The man’s eyes shifted, remorse hidden beneath a practiced composure.

Y/n crossed her arms, fighting a surge of anger. “Look, I don’t have time for riddles. Who are you, really?”

“Y/n, I’m your father. Jang Junseo”

The room seemed to tilt, the air thinning as the truth unraveled. Her mind screamed denial, her heart ached with a raw, cold edge. “You? My dad? You left my mother and me when I was little.”

“I’m back now. For good.”

“No. Get out.”

“I want us to be a family again,” he pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.

“Too late for that, don’t you think? Eighteen years is a long time, and you sure took yours.” Anger, bitterness, and betrayal coiled in her chest.

“Y/n, please, I was helpless.”

“Helpless? So were we, and we made a life without you. We forgot you, made ourselves believe you never existed. I grew up without a father, without a family. You shattered everything. Because of you, I stopped believing in love. I stopped believing I’d ever be happy.”

“I’m so sorry. I want to make it right. I want us to be together.”

“You lost your chance,” she said, the finality in her voice slicing through the silence.

“But you’re my daughter.”

“I was never yours... Dad.” The words hung in the air, sharp and heavy, sealing her heart off from the man who had once claimed a place in it. And just like that, he left, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared. He was gone, this time for good, leaving only the bitter echoes of what could have been.

The man who claimed to be her father was nothing but a ghost, vanishing as if he had never been a part of her life—and never would be again.