THE PROPOSAL || KTH

Chapter 13 || The Secrets

Sighing, I walked over and took a seat beside my husband on the couch, knowing it was going to be a long night.

The dinner was a peaceful affair for which I was thankful. Though Kim Shin-jae was displeased with my presence, he refrained from voicing it out in front of Ho-seok and his parents. Thank God for small miracles.

"I'll be back," I told Tae-hyung as I made my way toward the guest room to use the bathroom.

On my way, I spotted Lisa talking to Mr. Kim , but I chose to ignore them both.

"Y/n," Mr. Kim called out to me.

Damn! When had things gone according to plan for me?

"I want to talk to you about something important. It's about Tae-hyung. Come with me," he commanded before walking away from there, expecting me to follow him. I rolled my eyes at his high-headedness. The only fact that he was my father-in-law stopped me from putting him in his place.

Letting out a sigh, I followed him to his study on the same floor. I wouldn't have if it weren't about Tae-hyung. Something about his tone made me curious.

"What it is, Mr. Kim ?" I asked as we got inside the room.

"Did my son tell you what's happening in his professional life?" Mr. Kim asked with a cruel smirk.

My insides clenched in despair, not liking where his conversation would head.

"He didn't tell me, but I have an idea." From what I knew, Tae-hyung was facing problems with his new project.

"Expected. He always had a problem opening up to people he doesn't consider his own," he said mockingly, satisfied that he could throw that in my face to hurt me. And I hated that he was successful to some extent. Tae-hyung's aloofness at times hurt deeper than I expected. Maybe because now he held more control over my emotions. Not that I'd ever let him know, but still, that didn't change the fact that I'd fallen for him. It wasn't hard not to.

"Since you're unaware of things, let me elaborate. He's facing losses because of his stubbornness," Tae-hyung's father sneered.

My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"I could have helped, but he refused to listen to me. All because of you." He pointed at me with those accusing eyes.

I flinched away at the raw disgust in his eyes. "Because of me? What have I done?"

What was with people holding me responsible for things I wasn't even aware of? First, it was Jungkook, now him.

"He refused to get rid of the trash he brought home in the form of you. Had he listened to me and married Lisa, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't be facing so many problems professionally," Kim Shin-jae bellowed, venting out the anger he'd bottled up inside of him.

I was too numb to react. His father refused to help him in time of need because of me. Why? Was his hate for me greater than the love for his own child?

I cowered back when Mr. Kim charged toward me. The man was intimidating and more so when seething with rage, rage that was directed at me, and I knew he wouldn't hesitate to hurt me. He was capable. It was visible in his eyes that were so similar to my husband's, but they didn't hold any warmth unlike my husband's. They were cold, filled with rage and disgust for me.

"I want you to leave him and go back to the place trash like you belong. You don't belong here, not as his wife, nor as the daughter-in-law of this house."

"I'm not leaving." I wouldn't unless it was Tae-hyung himself telling me to leave. And definitely, I wasn't going to allow Mr. Kim to bully me like that.