Author's POV
"Does it hurt, Mama?" the little girl asked, touching Della's cheek where a handprint was visible. It seemed as though someone had slapped her. Della looked down with tears glistening in her eyes and nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine, my baby girl," Della said, hugging her daughter tightly. They were sitting on a bench in the park, with light snow falling during the winter season. The cold breeze brushed against their bodies, and Aziel immediately sought warmth by nestling against her mother's chest. Della tightened the hug.
"There's a saying that a daughter always lives the life of her mother. A daughter's fate is often a shadow of her mother's fate. She's likely to go through the same things her mother faced. And today, I don't want my daughter to live the life that I despise the most. I don't want her fate to follow in the footsteps of my fate," Della thought, looking at her 7-year-old baby girl.
"I love you, Mama," Aziel whispered.
"I love you too," Della responded.
"Mom!" Troy screamed at his mother when Rose suddenly struck Aziel. The force of the slap was so strong that Aziel fell to the ground, instinctively using her hand to protect herself and inadvertently exacerbating her wound. A hiss escaped her lips as her loose hair covered her side profile.
"What the hell is wrong with you? This is my house, and I can choose anyone to do chores!" Troy said, pushing his mother against the wall and standing between the two women.
"Anyone but her. She's a bad omen. Her mother was a whore," Rose yelled at her son, and Troy clenched his fist.
"Her mother used to work in our house. You used to like Aziel, so what suddenly changed, Mom?" Troy said in frustration, looking at Aziel as she tried to compose herself.
"Your father selected her mother. He was seduced, that's why he chose her, even though there were plenty of workers in the house," Rose said, her eyes welling up with tears. "Did she seduce you too?" Rose asked, causing Aziel to gasp. Her heart tightened.First, people called her mother by derogatory names, and now they were referring to her with different names. The corner of her lips was bleeding.
"For God's sake, Mom, stop it. She's just a kid. She doesn't even know the meaning of seduction, and you're saying this nonsense," Troy said, and when his mother tried to approach Aziel, he gently pushed her back, ensuring she wouldn't get hurt.
"This is reality. She isn't just a kid. She is the child of a monster. Wherever she goes, she brings misfortune, just like her mother. Her mother destroyed many relationships, and now she is doing the same. You can take us as an example. She is just like her mother—a bad omen, a whore," Rose said angrily.
"Enough, Mom, enough!" Troy said, stepping back in disgust. "You're not only demeaning her character, but you're also demeaning me." His face turned red as he struggled to maintain control. "Please leave my house," Troy pleaded, but his words only fueled Rose's anger. Mother and son stared at each other with resentment.
Suddenly, a loud sob echoed through the hall. They both looked down upon hearing the cry and found Aziel crying uncontrollably. Goosebumps ran down Troy's arms, and even Rose was taken aback. Aziel's cries held a power that could shatter everything. She had never cried in front of anyone except Jungkook and her mother, Della.
"My mother wasn't a bad omen. I am not a monster's child. I didn't seduce anyone," Aziel cried out, standing up while clutching her injured hand. Tears welled up in Troy's eyes. Her crying was different, not like that of an ordinary human.
"We are not whores," Aziel declared, looking directly at Rose. When Rose saw Aziel's tear-filled, reddened eyes, something changed within her, and she stumbled back.
"Hurt any human, but never hurt a monster's child. Even their cries curse you," this sentence echoed in Rose's mind as she watched Aziel walk away.
"Aziel," Troy called out, but she didn't stop. She left without her medicine. After she was gone, Troy turned to his mother, who was already in shock and fear.
"I am so ashamed of you, Mom," Troy said, but Rose didn't seem to pay attention. And in a muttered voice, she uttered, "The curse of the monster's child."
~~~~
Standing near the French wall of his office, which was on the 98th floor of his company in Seoul, Jungkook looked down. One hand was on the wall while the other was in his pants pocket. His posture screamed of his intense focus on the previous conversation with his PA.
"By marrying his daughter, he wants to protect his property and image and also strengthen the bond between Jeon and Chang. Initially, he wanted Mr. Shin to give his daughter to his son, but since Y/N married Kim Taehyung to protect her property and Parade, now he sees you as an option," he said with utter disgust in his tone.
"Money and power don't consider anyone's past, Mr. Jeon. This is business, and even this marriage will be a business deal for Mr. Chang. He is simply selling his daughter to save his son's business career," his PA explained.
"So, do you think I should agree to this marriage?"
"No... He simply wants to destroy you, and in this game, his daughter will play a big role. She can harm you. From my perspective, it's a big NO. You have just started your career, Mr. Jeon. There will be plenty of options available. Many businessmen would offer their daughters to you, and they might pressure you to marry their daughter. But you have to stand against them and clearly state that you are only interested in a business relationship," Mr. William advised. "And do you think their daughter will be good for you? They will marry you and then hurt you. If you try to make them understand, they will play the victim card, and eventually, you will end up giving them half of your property as compensation in case of a divorce," Mr. William added, and Jungkook listened attentively.
"Reject this proposal. We will handle their rivalry," Mr. William ordered, and Jungkook looked at him.
"What if she's like Shin Y/N?" Jungkook asked, and Mr. William's eyes sparkled with different emotions.
"You don't know about the married life of Kim Taehyung and Shin Y/N, so it's better if you stop assuming every other girl to be like her. Moreover, I don't think any billionaire's daughter will be as down-to-earth, calm, and smart as Shin Y/N," Mr. William replied, and Jungkook looked away.
"I understand, but what if my marriage to So-Yeon is profitable?" Jungkook questioned.
"If it was for your benefit, they would have never proposed this marriage to you. It's for their profit, which is why Mr. Chang is pressurizing you," Mr. William answered. "I hope all your doubts have been cleared," Jungkook nodded.
"Sir," Jungkook snapped back to reality when he heard Mr. William's voice. He turned around and found him standing near the door of his office.
"Yes, is everything ready?" Jungkook asked, and Mr. William nodded.
"Yes, it is, but I'm here to talk about Chang's proposal," Mr. William said.
"What is it?" Jungkook asked, and Mr. William smiled.
"If you are ready to take advantage of this marriage, then I suggest you say 'Yes' for a while. Later on, you can deny this marriage," Mr. William suggested, and Jungkook raised one eyebrow, not understanding the meaning of his sentence.
"What?" Jungkook asked.
"We need his political power for a while. If you agree to this marriage, it's obvious that the media will exaggerate this news, and we can take advantage of it. Being the future son-in-law of Chang is quite good for political issues. If the media asks, you can respond by saying, 'It's a wrong news. There is no confirmation from your side, and you are still considering this proposal,'" Mr. William suggested, and Jungkook chuckled.
"Want to carry my coffin?" Jungkook asked sarcastically, and Mr. William approached him.
"Look, Mr. Jeon. I know it's risky, and it's not like Chang wouldn't take advantage of this news. They will use your newfound fame and name for a while. They will use you in every possible way. So why not use them too? Be smart, Mr. Jeon," Hearing this, Jungkook became silent. He thought for a second and then said,
"I don't think it's a good idea. I wouldn't say yes to this proposal. For fuck's sake, his daughter will suffer in our game. Yes, it's true I need some political power, but it's also true that I can buy any politician with money, just like I bought the transport minister of Korea, and the Changs are dangerous. If we ditch them, they will absolutely seek revenge, and I am in no mood for a fight. I just want to focus on business and live a happy life with peace," Jungkook said, and Mr. William smiled.
"That's what I wanted to hear, Mr. Jeon. I was just testing how you are handling this situation, and you handled it very well," Mr. William said, proud of Jeon Jungkook. "If results look good after putting in a little effort, then it's a scam. We will take the long path to reach the top instead of taking shortcuts," Mr. William said, and Jungkook just looked at him, surprised.
"Please don't test me like that. For a while, I thought you hit your head somewhere," Jungkook said, and Mr. William laughed.
"Sorry, sorry. Now let's go for the meeting. Today, you have five meetings to attend, and at 9 PM, you have a meeting with Mr. Relish at the 'Till 6 O'clock' club."
Aziel was walking slowly, lost in her thoughts. The pain of her loss and the character assassination was so great that her tears were not helping her. The cold breeze brushed through her hair, and her body got goosebumps in an attempt to keep warm. She wiped her tears and looked to her side, where a pond was present. The thought of committing suicide crossed her mind. She stopped and thought for a while, with all her miseries flashing in front of her eyes like a film.
Her mama got killed.
The killer wounded her palm so that she wouldn't inform the police about the murder.
Rose calls her a bad omen, a whore. Thinking that she seduced and stole her son.
No one was in the world to save her. Even though her mama was bedridden, she used to wipe Aziel's tears, but now no one was present to comfort her or lessen her pain.
She was all alone. Alone in this cruel world. The thought of ending her life started to arise. She shook off all the negative thoughts and continued her journey home, unaware that two men were following her, keeping their eyes on her. But who were they?
They were the men of Jeon Jungkook. He had left, but he had assigned five men to keep an eye on her so that she wouldn't go to the police station.
At night,
Jungkook stood up and extended his hand to Mr. Relish, who was sitting just in front of him. Mr. Relish rose to his feet and shook hands with him.
"It's such a pleasure to work with an energetic person like you, Jeon Jungkook," Mr. Relish said, caressing Jungkook's arm. Jungkook maintained his stoic face and disciplined behavior.
"Well, it's an honor for me to enter the British market with your support," Jungkook said, and Mr. Relish smiled.
"It's an honor for me too, supporting my friend's charismatic son," Mr. Relish said, and Jungkook chuckled. "Let's celebrate this deal," Mr. Relish suggested, and Jungkook shook his head.
"No, I don't drink," Jungkook said, and the waitress stopped pouring wine into his glass.
"Why? Does your wife scold you?" Mr. Relish asked with a cheeky grin, and Jungkook shook his head.
"No, I am just cautious about my health," Jungkook answered.
"Yeah, I can see," Mr. Relish said, feeling Jungkook's biceps. "You've worked quite hard on yourself. So what would you like to drink, if not wine then?" he asked.
"Water," Jungkook replied.
The loud music of the club hit Jungkook's eardrums with force as he walked out of the VIP room. He held a beautiful glass typically used for wine or beer, but it contained plain water. He walked to the railing and looked down. Youngsters of his age were dancing carefreely on the stage. Some were drunk, some were doing drugs. Half-naked girls were trying to seduce men, while others were trying to appear cool.
His phone vibrated in his pants pocket, and a voice echoed in his ear through the Bluetooth.
"Yes," he answered abruptly.
"Everything is fine, boss. She is not going to the police station," he heard, and Aziel's face crossed his mind, which caused him to feel a different kind of euphoria. A smirk formed on his lips. He had scared her very well.
"Good. Be careful of her every move. If you find her heading towards the police station, just shoot her," he ordered and heard an okay from the other side.
"I am throwing a party in two weeks," Jungkook immediately looked back at the owner of the voice. It was Mr. Relish. He hung up his phone and paid him attention.
"And I am inviting you to attend the party."
"I will," Jungkook said with a warm smile.
"With your girlfriend, wife, or any partner," Jungkook's smile dropped, but soon his eyes landed on his bodyguard, Leon, who was standing four steps away from him, providing protection. Jungkook himself was tired of Leon's constant presence. He followed him everywhere, even when he went to the bathroom to relieve himself.
"Can I bring my bodyguard as my partner?" Jungkook asked, and Mr. Relish chuckled, understanding the sarcasm behind Jungkook's statement.
"It's okay. It's alright if you don't have any special lady. It's perfectly fine if you come alone, but let your bodyguard be your bodyguard, otherwise the whole world will start calling you gay," Mr. Relish said, and Jungkook chuckled.
"Thanks for understanding. I will definitely join the party," Jungkook said.
"Hope you find your lady soon so that you can attend my upcoming parties with your better half," Mr. Relish said, and in response, Jungkook just smiled.
The clouds roared in the sky as the rain started pouring. Jungkook looked at the rain through the window of his expensive car, which was being driven by his driver. Leon sat in the passenger seat beside the driver. Lightning flashed in the area, and Jungkook watched it with a dull expression.
"Where are we going?" Jungkook asked.
"Home," Leon answered, and a sad smile appeared on Jungkook's face. Even after killing Della, he wasn't satisfied. The thought of losing his parents still upset him.
"Stop the car," Jungkook murmured slowly.
"What's wrong, boss?" Leon asked.
"Stop the car," he repeated.
"But it's dangerous to stop the car in this area at midnight," Leon reasoned.
"I don't repeat myself, Leon. Just stop the car," this time his tone was filled with power and demand, which caused the driver to stop the car. As soon as the car stopped, Jungkook opened the door on his side and got out of the car.
"Boss," Leon also got out of the car to follow his boss.
"Don't follow me. Leave me alone for a while," Jungkook roared but didn't turn to look at anyone. He started to walk in the opposite direction of his car. Even after hearing Jungkook's order, Leon didn't stop, but he maintained a healthy distance between them. He was 15 steps behind Jungkook.
Aziel checked the strength of the rope she had made using all her scarves. The strength was no joke. She gulped, standing on the table and wrapping the last part of the rope around her neck.
She was attempting suicide.
Finally, she had mustered up the courage to end her life.
"Mama, I'm sorry. Your Aziel has no strength left to stand in this sinful world," she murmured, a tear escaping her eyes.
Jungkook's tears mixed with the rainwater as he walked through the streets like a lifeless body. He was tired and wanted to go home, but the place he lived wasn't a home. There was no one waiting for him, no parents, no friend Jimin. The burden of killing Della was suffocating him, and the laughter and taunts of others echoed in his head. He looked up at the cloudy sky, and raindrops began to hit his face.
"Mom," he whispered, another tear escaping his eyes.
"Boss," Leon shouted as he saw Jungkook's figure falling and rushed towards him. Before he could reach, Jungkook had already collapsed on the road, unconscious.
"Ahhh," Aziel struggled to breathe, and the rope broke into two parts, causing her to fall to the floor. Her head hit the ground as she coughed, gasping for breath.
Her suicide attempt had failed miserably.
As she coughed, the face of the killer, Jungkook, flashed through her mind, and her heart throbbed with pain and anger. She had been trying to end her life before punishing her mother's killer. If she was truly determined to die, why not first inform the police about the murder and then take her own life? And thus, a plan formed in her mind.
A plan to inform the police about the murder!
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Finally, she planned to inform the police. 😏
Go, baby girl, go. Inform the police about the murder and be prepared to face the wrath of Jeon Jungkook. He will do things you could never have imagined.
Both of them are unhappy with their lives, aren't they? But let's not worry about them because soon they will cross paths again, or in standard English, "collaborate." They will collaborate in their miserable lives and entertain each other. 😂😂😂
Let's meet in the next chapter, which I will update next week. Until then, take care. Oh, and please show mercy on me and give this story a star.
Thank you, love you.